[asimovian]

Seems a strange question, maybe.
But *why* is there movie technology, is there a movie industry ? Just to make money ?
I don't think so. There are ten thousand avenues of industry.
The industrial production process is useful because it does not make sense that every individual or family manufactures his own personal consumer goods - food, building materials, clothing, material used in the healing professions ...
But how did it come to be that the movie industry has developed in such a gigantic way ?
We know the manipulative potential of the media (especially movies) and the power its channels can wield over the human mind. Why do we watch movies ? Because they make us *feel emotions* and are capable of providing us with sensations, isn't it ?
So far, so good. But we would be naive if we believed that all this is just for the purpose of leisure.
Movies are used to make us buy things ; to make us think "right" thoughts (political influencing or indoctrination) ; to what other ends - more or less covert - could they be - or are they being - used ?

[Killer Chicken]

I personally believe that the world is being used by far superior alien beings. Their way of using us is to put thoughts into our mind through media. Isn't it true that people in the limelight don't act human? There is a reason for this...

[fluffy bunny]

People have always liked stories, telling them, and being told them. Movies are just another way of telling them.

And some astute hotshot observed that it had a profit margin in it far greater than that of theater and also appealed to those who didn't have time to read books, hence massive promotion, and finally acceptance.

[MrKip]

What really intrigues me was how did it come about that film stars (and sports and music stars) came to be paid so much, considering the limited role they provide for society.
The only thing I could think of was that such talents were rare, but when you consider the talentless dross (Sandra Bullock, S Club, Andy Cole) that gets paid so much, who decides who gets the money?

[Mag]

Supply and demand.

People will pay anything to be entertained. I cannot believe the prices of tickets to concerts, sporting events and even movies.

We do have power to change things, we just don't excercise that power.

[saintjon]

I'm not sure about movies, but for sports I think the huge paychecks started when the people running the stadiums started jacking up the ticket prices to make more money. It was only a matter of time before the athletes wanted their share, which drove the prices up even higher.